Tankless Toilet: Other High Tech Commodes

A tankless toilet so inspired Japan's Panasonic Corp. that the company will end their production of water-logged toilets and focus on the design alternative.

Named the Arauno V, the tankless toilet won't be free of water, but will do away with the bulky water tanks that take up crucial space in tight urban abodes.

Instead, the toilet will get its water supply directly from the home water supply. The toilets definitely won't be cheap when they arrive in stores Feb. 21 in Japan.

The lowest end will cost US$1,552 (€1,184) and the top-of-the-line will set you back US$2,421 (€1,847).

Tankless, water-saving toilets with attractive designs are designed to be easy and comfortable to use and environment-friendly and bring about a new lifestyle for users, the company said.

Panisonic, which earned US$157 million in toilet sales in 2010, isn't the only company to produce high tech toilets that have such features as self-cleaning, preheated seats and hands-free lid opening.

Below is a list of some of the world's fancier toilets:

Regio Smart Toilet by INAX:

This angularly-shaped toilet nearly allows users to be hands-free and boasts a sensor that automatically lifts the lid when you approach; an automatic flusher and deodorizer and a self-closing lid.

List price: $7,350 (black) and $5,900 (white)

Numi by Kohler:

Kohler says this boxy beauty is the most advanced toilet in the market. The toilet has several automatic features meant to pamper including an automatic lid, bidet, deodorizer, seat and feet warmers; illuminated panels for nighttime pees; along with built-in speakers and a dock to plug in your mp3 player.

For high end toilets such as the Neorest, an automatic lid, hands-free flush and a bidet with warm-air dryer comes standard. However, the toilet comes with its own LCD panel where users can program in seat temperatures, spray intensity and angle and can put in an energy-saver timer.

List price: $5,630

You thought the above were expensive? That's barely a blip compared to the toilet designed by Russian aerospace company S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Public Corporation that NASA bought in 2007 for $19 million. The toilet cost so much, according to news reports at the time, because it resembled a miniature water-treatment system found in cities.

Another famously expensive toilet is a golden throne of 24 karat gold built by Hong Kong's Hang Fung Gold Technology Group in 2001. At the time, the showcase toilet was valued at $5 million, but due to the spike in gold prices, the can is worth $32 million.